Why Jay Leno Prefers Small Clubs Over Big Paychecks

After more than 40 years in comedy, Jay Leno is still happiest on stage, cracking jokes in small clubs. Even at 74, he isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In 2024, he performed about 150 shows, and according to him, that number won’t be dropping in 2025.

“You know, I like it. I like to tell jokes,” Jay shared during a conversation with PEOPLE. “People [say,] you should do like a Netflix special. I don’t wanna do it once and get a big check. I’d rather do it a hundred times and get a bunch of smaller checks, you know what I mean? It’s more fun for me. That’s what I like,” he added.

For Jay, comedy is all about testing material in front of live audiences. He recently told a joke about someone asking him why his house didn’t burn down during the January wildfires in Los Angeles. The absurdity of the question gave him the perfect setup.

“I said, ‘Well, you know, I’m not as famous as I was 15 years ago when I was doing the Tonight Show.’ I was the biggest celebrity then. So I think if it happened, then I would’ve lost my house, but not now.’ And he says, ‘That makes sense,’” he joked. 

Jay laughed as he recalled the exchange. “I go, ‘No, it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t make any sense at all.’ It’s the stupidest question.’”

His love for the stage means he’s not interested in cutting back on performances, even with his unique sleeping habits. He only gets about four hours of sleep a night, and when he once tried adjusting his schedule, it didn’t work.

According to him, he goes to bed around 2 or 2:30 a.m. and wakes up at 7:30 or 8:00.

“I’m just not a big sleeper. I suppose if I had a real job where I had to work hard, I’d be more exhausted. So that’s probably what it is,” he shared.

In addition to touring, Jay recently took on a new challenge — playing Ed Sullivan in the upcoming film Midas Man. But no matter what new projects come his way, his first love will always be telling jokes in front of a live audience.